Conquering the Storm

Waking in the morning I woke I a cold sweat. I was plagued by memories in the form of nightmares. It was nights like that that make me thankful for my alarm clock.

I cut it off and dragged myself to the shower. A hot shower helped calm my nerves and relax my tense muscles.

When I could breathe a little easier, I got out resolving to put on a dressy gray blouse and black pencil skirt.

I put my hair up in a curled bun, some of the fiery tendrils escaping to rest on my face igniting my hazel eyes.

I wore comfortable flats, gathered my things and headed off to the office, striving to make it twenty minutes early because in my haste, I left my car in the office garage.

"Stupid," I mumbled as I set a brisk pace. I would have to have one of the secretaries get me some coffee.

~~~~<<<<
I made it early, clocked in and rested at my desk for a second.

"Good morning, early bird. Do you want some coffee?" Ever Perky Tina, the newest secretary chirped.

"Please. Hazelnut, 4 sugars, extra cream," then I thought about it. "Scratch that. Make it an upside down caramel macchiato. Caramel goes in first so the it diffuses through the drink evenly,"

"Will do!" She walked off in a swirl of pink.

"Some times I think she comes to work buzzed out of her mind," Lera teased as she walked over to me, following my gaze.

"Yeah, she's high on life," I murmured with a rueful smile.

"That's some deep stuff. You using that in your column?" She asked.

"Maybe. I'll put it on my to-do list. Use 'high on life' in a column or story," I laughed with the older woman.
"How are you feeling by the way?" She asked.

"Better. Not quite a hundred percent but much better," I assured her.
"Good. Now get some work done," she went to her desk and I buried myself in my work. Tina came back from her coffee run and brought me my drink.

"I ordered one for myself, out of curiousity and they are amazing," she said with a sip from a cup. "Have a good day," she walked away from my desk for the second time.

I read over some letters to Yours, Everlasting, pausing at one from a woman known as :Too Nice For My Own Good.

Dear Everlast,
I'm in trouble. There's a guy that's positively revolting and so vain. And he asked me out. I was saved by the job calling me in, but I know he will come around asking me again.
Help!,
Too Nice For My Own Good

I'm sure I read it five times, biting my lips as I thought it over.

"So what color are you wearing tonight?" I'm sure I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard Macey's voice.

"I...haven't decided," I answered breathlessly, trying to figure how to work my lungs properly.

"I'm wearing violet. I think ha elegant champagne color would look nice on you," she murmured.

Rachel hated champagne, the color. She adored the drink.

"Yeah, I think so too," I murmured.

She smiles raps her knuckles on my desk. "Excellent, pick you up at 7," she walked off and finally my lungs began to work.

I began to type a response to Too Nice.
~~~<
Too Nice For My Own Good,

I understand you aren't keen on rejecting even the most revolting person because of the way you were raised.
But darling, it's a mean, cruel, rejecting world out there. You will get your feelings hurt time and time again. And if this guy is as vain as you say, he will bounce back. He's probably too high on his horse to stay unseated for long.

There may be light consequences, like him saying you're a prude or a lesbian or something he thinks is offensive. Just stay strong and remember that you and only you know the truth.
These days, feelings getting hurt at one point or another is inevitable. So stand up for yourself and be firm.
Yours,
Everlasting.

I sent the email to the girl and decided to use it in my next column.
I was distracted for the rest of the day.
"I'm going to lunch," I announced. I had eaten already, but Macey wanted elegant champagne.
~~~~~~~~~~~~<<<<
I found the perfect dress. It was pink. Champagne pink. It was a wrap dress with Semi sari style. There were green designs if flowers embroidered into the beautiful fabric. I had the perfect green shoes to go with the dress and stopped in JC Penny's to get a pair of earrings to go with it.

I settled on jade earrings and went to the cashier. She looked deep in thought. Her green eyes lost in some memory. Her pixie cut black hair framed her gotegous face nicely.

Suddenly, I wanted to see her smile.

"Contemplating the meaning of life," I asked.

She blinked and blushed. The sweet pink her features turned was absolutely adorable. Even though I didn't like pink, I was suddenly okay with wearing the dress the color of her light blush.

"Yeah, my life," she said with a shy smile and began ringing me up.
I caught a glimpse of her name tag.

"Aiden," I said the name, testing it. I liked the way it flowed from my mouth. "I like it. I'm Rhianne,"

"It's nice to meet you, Rhianne," she said softly.

My name fluttered from her lips as gentle as a butterfly that had landed on my ear. It set my skin in goosebumps.

She rang up my earrings. "Hot date with your boyfriend?" She asked gesturing to the dress.

I snorted at the insinuation. "I don't like boys like that, much to their discontent. I have to go to an award show with my boss,"

A light sparkle danced in her eyes. "And I bet he wishes, a beautiful woman like you was more into him,"

"Actually, she probably does," I murmured. "I'm an editor at The Image Magazine and The Daily News. I also write a few stories and columns,"

"That's really cool. She's a lucky lady. Maybe I'll see you around sometime then?" She says as I finished paying.

I smiled. "You haven't seen the last of me, Aiden. Lets grab coffee some time," I wrote my number on a the back of a coupon and left before she had time to react.

I got back to work, smiling softly to myself. Maybe someday, someday soon, I could be rebuilt into the happier loving girl a woman deserves. Maybe Aiden will help. She could be sculptor to reshape me.

Wow, what a lot to expect from a perfect stranger. I shook off the thought and got back to work.
~~~~~~~<<<

7pm
I was nervous. I was dressed and pulled my hair to the side with green flowers pins, a green tiger lily in my hair.

I was fidgety. A whole night with her. The night hasn't even begun and I was already praying it was over.

Then the doorbell rang.